Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025 competition Large scale category and Student award winners - Harvard's Graduate School of Design

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce the Large scale category winners of our Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025 – Emma Agnes Sheffer and Joseph Robert Russell from United States!

Joseph Robert Russell and Emma Agnes Sheffer

Please tell us about your company (when it was founded, where it is based, how many employees, etc) Alternatively, if you do not have a company, please give us some insights on your own professional/academia background.

We, Joe Russell and Emma Sheffer, met in our first studio together at Harvard's Graduate School of Design (GSD). Both of us are in the Master of Architecture I program. The fourth studio in the GSD's 'core' studio sequence is a semester-long, partnered-housing

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where the company/ individuals have been Involved?

We decided to work together on this design project because we knew we would push each other, as our design approaches and processes seem different on the surface. However, our core interests and values align seamlessly. Joe has a strong technical background, having studied architecture at The Bartlett in London and worked in the offices of Richard Rogers, SOM, and HDR. He brings a realistic approach and attention to detail. Emma has a background in film, having studied film production at USC and worked as a filmmaker in Alaska for close to a decade. She brings a strong narrative sensibility and a drive to explore ideas beyond the traditional architectural framework.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

We are learning that, as designers, we have the potential to wield significant power over how the world exists and sustains itself. We are both passionate about housing stability. We are also passionate about design that is ethically manufactured and sourced, which will last, decreasing the need for continual redevelopment and overconsumption of materials and financial resources.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Participating in this competition pushed us to step back from our project and distill it to its most succinct parts. This helped us fine-tune how we think and talk about our work. It also allowed us to reflect on and celebrate the work we are really proud of.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture competitions?

Do it!